


You Are The Color Of My Blood

by Polarnacht



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, First Meetings, Happy Ending, Hurt Jace Wayland, Hurt/Comfort, Jace is a Morgenstern, M/M, Mild Blood, Protective Alec Lightwood, Revenge, Shadowhunter Academy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:49:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29578437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polarnacht/pseuds/Polarnacht
Summary: When the Circle loses and his father dies, Jace is forced to attend the Shadowhunter Academy. The other students are not pleased with his presence and try to teach him a lesson - all except one. Alec Lightwood. And in the end, it’s the others who will learn a lesson, not Jace.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland
Comments: 14
Kudos: 48
Collections: Jalec Prompt Challenge - February





	You Are The Color Of My Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Jalec February Challenge: First Times
> 
> A huge thank you to Jessa for being my Beta 💙

Jace’s nose breaks under the boy’s fist. His head lolls to the side with the force of the blow, but he is yanked back mercilessly. Another punch hits him, splitting his lip open. He feels blood running down his throat and tears prickle in his eyes. But they're not tears of pain or tears of fear. They are tears of rage. Of anger. Of fury. 

Three boys hold him down while the fourth hits him with his fists, before he starts to kick at his stomach. Jace’s runes glow golden on his skin, but the others activated their runes too. And they are four and he is just one. But it doesn’t matter. Because there will be a time when he will be one and the others just two. Or one. 

“Circle scum,” the boy in front of him hisses, and Jace just spits blood at him. The other smirks while he drives his boot into Jace’s kidney, making him yelp in pain. Jace has just been forced to join the Shadowhunter Academy, as after his father’s death and the Circle losing, there was no one willing to take him in. No Institute, no family. So they shipped him off here. And as he lacked the obedience the other students thought he owed them for being his father’s son, they thought they could beat it into him. Jace nearly laughs. They clearly never met his father. Clearly know nothing about his upbringing, otherwise they wouldn’t expect him to crack open from a little beating. And he sure as hell won’t take the fall for something he didn’t do. He doesn’t grovel for strangers. 

“Quick. Someone is coming.” One of the boys immobilizing his legs alerts the others. The boy in charge kicks Jace in his ribs once more with a huge grin before they all spring to their feet, rushing out of the room. Jace cannot wait to punch the grin off the boy’s face, showing him what cracking means. Because next time he’s alone with that git,  _ he _ will crack something. Preferably, the boy’s skull. 

Jace groans in pain, trying to wipe away the blood on his face. He forces his body to activate its Iratze, the sting of it making him first hiss and then relax when the pain eases. It doesn’t go away fully, but it’s more bearable. He pushes himself into a sitting position, leaning against the wall while he tries to even his breath.  _ Bastards _ . But he will teach them what it means to mess with a Morgenstern. 

The steps come closer, but he knows they will stride away as soon as the person has realized who has been roughened up. It happened before, when he was passed along the Institutes. Too young to get executed with the rest of the Circle members. Too old to be presumed innocent. Jace is fifteen, and he has seen enough to know how the world spins. Hail for the winner, pain for the rest. 

To his surprise the steps draw nearer and someone flops down by his side. He is met with warm hazel eyes that take in his state calmy. The eyes roam over his body, registering his injuries. What the others didn’t manage to achieve with their brutality, the boy in front of him does with one stare. He startles him. Jace knows who he is. Alexander Lightwood. Heir to the New York Institute. 

“Here, let me.” Alec pushes Jace’s torn shirt up and places an Iratze next to his bruised kidneys. To his own surprise, Jace lets him, not mentioning that he activated his rune just minutes ago. The pain when the rune is complete is sharper than the pain before. The rune burns brighter. But it also heals better. The bruise fades more and the pain eases. 

“I’m Alec,” the boy offers, while he draws another rune on Jace’s skin. 

“I know.” Their eyes meet, and this time Alec doesn’t look away to check for wounds. This time, their stare doesn’t falter. They just look at each other and something settles inside Jace. Something shifts in his mind, in his soul, as if part of him recognizes the boy in front of him. As if he has always been a part of him and just stepped up now to take this place. Jace shakes his head, but the odd feeling stays. 

“Thank you, I guess,” Jade licks over his suddenly dry lips. 

Alec just shrugs casually. “Not for that. They’re assholes. They won’t do it again.” Alec brushes over Jace’s face with his thumb before it comes to a rest on the bridge of Jace’s nose. “Ready?”

Before Jace can react, Alec has already pushed, snapping the broken bone back into place, making Jace inhale sharply. The pain is cutting, but Jace doesn’t flinch. He just looks at Alec, who is now brushing over the nose to see if he did it right. 

“You are right. They won’t. Because I will kill them if they try.” Jace’s voice is calm, matter of fact. He will. Their eyes lock again and Jace cannot help but soften under the intense stare. It’s the first time he speaks to Alec, but he cannot help but think that he knows him already. Has known him for years. 

“Don’t, Jace.” Their eyes are still glued to each other, before Jace gives a curt nod, not really knowing why he gives in to Alec’s request. He just knows he wants to do so.

* * *

“What have you done?” Alec bursts into Jace’s room, scrutinizing him. 

“Just what you asked me to. They’re alive, aren’t they?” Barely, but they are. Nothing some Iratzes and some potions won’t fix. Jace looks up to Alec and both know Alec’s next action will define their future. Will he leave and report Jace? Will he stay and protect him? But both already know the answer. Known it since they first met. Jace scoots over to make room the moment Alec throws himself down next to him. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are loved


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